Four Shenendehowa seniors sign collegiate letters of intent

Shenendehowa celebrated it final signing ceremony of the 2011-2012 year as Evan Hayner, Will Marois, Melissa Morgan and D.J. Tozier committed to colleges. They were supported at the signing ceremony by coaches Mark Thompson, AD Chris Culnan, coach Dan D'Amboise and Chris Douglas. (STAN HUDY/shudy@saratogian.com)

CLIFTON PARK - Four Shenendehowa standout athletes gathered for the final college signing celebration in the High School East Library Wednesday afternoon, sharing their thoughts, dreams and plans for the next four years at the college level and competing for new programs.

Two track standouts remained in the Empire State as Evan Hayner chose The College of St. Rose and Will Marois will enjoy the city life during his time at Adelphi University. Softball senior captain Melissa Morgan will take her talents north to Franklin Pierce University, located in New Hampshire and local golf standout D.J. Tozier will help reunite his family in Georgia, attending Columbus State University.

"They just a great academic system there, the coaches are great and it is also very close by so I can go back and forth from there to home," Evan Hayner said. "The coaches and the overall quality of the school all put it together in the city for me."

For Marois, being close to the Big Apple was a big selling point for him.

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"The (Adelphi) coach contacted me back in October and I looked up more about the school and the surrounding area," Marois said. "I wanted to be near a city and its right next to New York City. I took a visit there and from there on I applied and got in."

Softball captain Melissa Morgan had options for sports, to play volleyball and softball, guided by her career choice.

"It was the right fit for

me between playing softball so I could excel in academics," Morgan said. "In the end it was between Franklin Pierce and New England College and I went with Franklin Pierce because when I went on campus I felt that was where I was supposed to be."

Plainsmen golfer and local U.S. Open qualifier Tozier will be moving the furthest away from Clifton Park, but the rest of his family will follow him, joining his father, who relocated to Augusta, Georgia last year for work.

"I wasn't really planning on checking out the school, but I took a chance and went there," Tozier said. "I fell in love with the campus, the team, they were really welcoming. It's a strong program and I just felt like it was the right fit for me."

Tozier was the second-best qualifier locally for the U.S. Open at McGregor Links and chose to compete in the 36-hole one-day qualifier at The River Club in Suwanee, Georgia over the weekend, bypassing the New York State Public High School Athletic Association championships at the Cornell University Golf Course in Ithaca.

"The competition was great, I played with a Nationwide touring pro that is going to turn pro soon," Tozier said. "It was a great experience. I was stressed, anxious, nervous; it was the biggest tournament I had ever played in.

"I didn't play very well and I didn't make it through," Tozier said. "The experience alone was worth more than anything else I could have asked for."